Paul George fined $15,000 for kicking ball into stands

NEW YORK (AP) Indiana Pacers forward Paul George has been fined $15,000 for inadvertently kicking the ball into the stands during a victory over Chicago.

The NBA announced the fine Tuesday.

George appeared to be upset Saturday night when no foul was called after he took a shot. He kicked the ball after drawing a foul on the Bulls' ensuing possession. The ball went into the stands with 1:42 left in the third quarter. The officials called a technical foul and immediately ejected the three-time All-Star.

After the game, George said he intended to kick the ball into the basketball stanchion and joked that his soccer skills were not as good as he thought. George also said he apologized to the fan who was hit by the ball. The fan was not injured.